Healthy Chicken Dishes: Tips & Ideas on Tasty Ways to Cook Chicken

Healthy Ways to Cook Nutritious Chicken

Cooking chicken in healthy ways does not take away from its versatility. There are hundreds of recipes for ways to cook chicken that create tasty, interesting, and totally different variations on how we can use this healthy mild meat that takes so well to sauces and spices.

Most of us grew up just loving our fried chicken, whether made at home, in a restaurant, or picked up from a fast food place. But we have reluctantly been made to admit that frying is a very unhealthy way to cook and adds calories, fat grams, and clogging in our arteries. At a time when we are constantly being made aware of health issues, we have to wave a fond goodbye to fried chicken! Chicken itself is a wholesome, low fat, inexpensive, easy-to-cook, nutritious food with important high-quality protein.

Health & Safety Tips

For health and safety reasons, remember to make sure:

• the chicken is thoroughly cooked (use a meat thermometer or poke it with a fork and make sure the juices run clear)

• remove any skin before cooking or eating to cut the calories and fat

• reheat leftovers only once

• keep for a maximum of three days after cooking

Cooking Ideas

Some of the ways that chicken can be cooked in a healthy way are:

Roasting, Baking or Using a Slow Cooker

These methods provide a tender chicken as well as one that also can include a variety of vegetables in the same roaster or pan. You can use garlic, onion, other herbs, low fat soy or teriyaki sauce, and salt-free seasonings for flavor. Add an inch or two of liquid, cream soup, or low-fat salad dressing to keep the chicken moist. Leaving the skin on while cooking keeps the meat from drying out by holding in the juices, and you can remove the skin after cooking. If you make a whole chicken (or one cut up into pieces so your family can choose various favorite parts), you can get many servings for a reasonable price.

Stir Frying

This is a low-fat way to cook because only a small amount of oil is needed to keep the ingredients from sticking, and the addition of many low-calorie vegetables adds to the health factor.

Braising

Searing the chicken in very little oil creates a golden crust and small bits in the bottom of the pan which make extra flavor in the sauce which is made by then simmering the chicken in liquid (water, broth, or fat-free gravy).

Poaching

This simmering method is in water or broth until cooked. For added flavor add peppercorns, onions, garlic, thyme, rosemary, or bay leaves to the liquid. This is perfect when the chicken is going to be added to other recipes calling for pre-cooked chicken or into salads, enchiladas, kabobs, sandwiches, etc.

Grilling

Making chicken on a barbecue grill allows excess fat to drip off or, better yet, skin the chicken first to avoid flareups. Marinating for at least four hours or overnight in the refrigerator is a good idea for extra flavor. If you don’t have that much time, you can rub with olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, freshly grated lemon peel, and other spices.

Soups

Any leftover chicken and vegetables can be the base for a pot of soup, adding a 95% fat-free broth and water. If you want a “filler” to stretch the servings, you can add brown rice or whole grain noodles and keep it healthy as well as filling.